Mockingbird Fostering Families
Mockingbird Hubs add another layer of support for East Sussex fostering families.
The launch of our first Hub links several foster carers, their families and the young people they care for - just like an extended family, or a mini community within our larger East Sussex fostering community. It's a great way to see what caring for each other really looks like in action.
The mini community is called a Constellation. At the centre of the Constellation is an experienced fostering household known as the Hub Home. Mark and Sue are our Hub Home carers who will provide practical and emotional support and advice including social activities and sleepovers for the nearby 'Satellite' foster families in the constellation. They fulfil a similar role to grandparents - they know all the adults, children, and young people in their constellation.
Watch and listen to more about Mockingbird in these video clips featuring our team with Mark and Sue, our wonderful Hub Home carers:
| Constellation benefits for carers | |
|---|---|
| Access to a experienced and familiar foster carers who are local to you | Hub Home Carers are like extended family – with capacity to provide help Satellite Carers can dip into: School runs, sleepovers (planned & emergency), family contact, day care, arranged social get-togethers, emotional & practical support |
| There for you 24/7 | Fancy a coffee or 'off-load' chats, advice and second opinions, friendships and additional connections |
| Be a part of the planning | Share skills and experiences, your voice is heard, creative ideas, collaborative, shape training |
| Regularly get-together | Satellite Carers meet once a month plus one more meet-ups with the children, training, informal ‘book club’ style topics of interest to discuss for personal & professional development . |
| Benefits for young people | |
| Being part of a larger ‘family’ | Building additional relationships with trusted adults in the Constellation, more friendships, varying ages, social meet-ups, sleepovers, additional family time and contact support on a regular basis |
| Improved stability | Sibling connections prioritised, improved placement statistics, increased safety network in a familiar group, supporting permanence, maintaining cultural identity, shared experiences |
| Regular social gatherings for everyone | Meet-ups with all Satellite Carers and all children (cared for and birth children) once a month, building friendships & confidence, pizza nights and film evenings, celebrations eg. birthdays and seasonal events |